Chapter 601: He refused her without hesitation.
Mu Hanyan had realized that as Ling Baobao’s hand gestures grew more profound and mysterious, the Star Plate at his chest would display different Star Phases, seemingly corresponding with them. Perhaps, this could be a great help to him.
Of course, Lady Mu wasn’t offering help for nothing. There were two main problems with the Meteorite Gold Mine: one was mining, and the other, refining. Now that the mining issue had been resolved, refining remained a significant challenge. Ling Baobao’s Alchemy was precisely what was needed.
"What’s wrong, the hand gestures not working anymore? Weren’t they just fine a moment ago?" Mu Hanyan approached Ling Baobao, expressing concern with a face that bore a kind smile, which easily reminded one of the legendary wolf in grandma’s clothing. Wu Qiuyun and Mu Cheng, seeing Mu Hanyan’s smile, shuddered together, feeling a chill—why did Mu Hanyan’s smile seem so unnerving?
"Yeah, why did they stop working?" Ling Baobao said in distress.
"Need my help?" Mu Hanyan offered eagerly.
It’s said that unsolicited eagerness is never without an ulterior motive, be it deceit or theft. Unfortunately, Ling Baobao, whose head ached from thinking about the hand gestures, didn’t ponder this at all.
"How can you help me?" Ling Baobao looked up at Mu Hanyan.
Although Mu Hanyan had previously provided an enlightening suggestion that sporadically rearranging the hand gestures led to a realization, it was clear that Mu Hanyan’s hand gestures, hastily learned from him and Yao Guangcheng, were quite mediocre. If they worked, it was purely down to luck.
The Alchemy Hand Formation he currently sought to understand was now a hundred, even a thousand times more profound and mysterious than the earlier gestures, and couldn’t possibly be comprehended by luck alone. So, he was understandably skeptical about Mu Hanyan’s "kind offer."
"Do you think it was all just luck earlier?" Mu Hanyan asked, sensing what was on Ling Baobao’s mind, her tone shrouded in intrigue. This pretense of mystery and profundity was a trick she had learned from Qu the Godman.
"Isn’t it?" Ling Baobao took the bait, asking curiously.
"I have a strange treasure on me that could greatly aid in comprehending hand gestures. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have gotten the hang of it on my first try," Mu Hanyan said, her words a mix of truth and lies.
Indeed, the Star Plate she carried should benefit Ling Baobao’s comprehension of the hand gestures, but her recent stroke of luck had nothing to do with it.
However, luck that even Mu Hanyan couldn’t believe herself, let alone others, would be more believable if she claimed it was due to a mysterious treasure.
"So that’s the reason! I thought as much, how could someone get it right with such accuracy on their first try? Hurry and take out the treasure to help me," Ling Baobao said, taking Mu Hanyan’s words as gospel and speaking urgently.
"I’ll help you, but I’ve just acquired this mine and desperately need an Alchemist. If you agree to stay and help me for three years, I will assist you fully in comprehending the hand gestures." Mu Hanyan laid out her terms directly.
In three years’ time, the mine should be able to operate properly, and it would be possible to find other Alchemists to replace Ling Baobao. To be honest, this wasn’t a scheme against Ling Baobao; such an offer was actually advantageous for both parties—it would ensure the mine’s stability and greatly benefit Ling Baobao’s comprehension. He surely wouldn’t refuse.
"No, no, I have important matters to attend to and can’t afford to stay here that long," Ling Baobao said, shaking his head like a rattle drum.